


Video Diaries

by Pyxie_Dust



Series: The Million Lives of Jaime and Melissa [4]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, OC Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 4th of July shennanigans, Early onset dementia, F/F, F/M, Halloween Happiness, M/M, New Years party, Nonbinary Character, Post Break-up, Terminal Illness, Tik tok references, Valentines Hijinks, vine references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-18 09:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 6,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21273422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyxie_Dust/pseuds/Pyxie_Dust
Summary: This was if Jalissa never got back together after their fight, which also never happened in our canon, but this was fun to write.
Relationships: Bucky/Bea, Daniel/HOME, Jaime/Melissa, Jalissa
Series: The Million Lives of Jaime and Melissa [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533401





	1. Video 1

_ **Date: November 29** _

_ **Time: 8:45 AM** _

_ **Video 1** _

The recording starts in the hallway of the apartment, the camera being carried carefully down towards the spare room. A hand comes into the frame and pushes the door open slowly, so as to not make the hinges creak. Light floods the viewfinder for a moment before the lens adjusts to compensate. The room has been transformed from a simple office to a child’s bedroom, at the center of which lays a baby girl on her playmat fast asleep. She lies on her stomach on top of a large Wolverine who is awake and grumbling, her drool leaking out of one corner of her mouth and onto it’s fur while one of her hands grip tight to another part of it

There’s the sound of a chuckle and Jaime’s voice whispers out of frame, “she’s been sleeping like that for the better part of an hour. Jonathan has not moved, he’s being such a good boy, but if I try getting near?” They take a couple steps closer and Jonathan lifts his head and growls at them, getting a chuckle, “He won’t let me get her! I need to wake her up otherwise she won’t sleep tonight, but he won’t let me near her!” They try again, talking a little louder, “Jonathan she needs to get up now, let me-”

A snarl from the large carnivore.

  
“Jonathan! It’s time for her to get up! Stop trying to bite me!” They set the camera down on the floor so that it can see the three of them in full view. Jaime clad in sweats and a t-shirt with both hands outstretched. Jonathan snapping at them again and causing the baby to stir, “Jonathan! Look it’s time for her to get up, she needs to eat and I need to change her diaper! She’s going to be fine, ok? I’ll let you take care of her after, but right now she needs-”  
  
This time he does manage to nip their hand and they yelp, “Jonathan!” It didn’t look like it hurt, and Jaime was chuckling the entire time at the ridiculousness of the situation. “Johnny, come on, she needs to get up now-”  
  
A sleepy yawn cuts them off, and the baby lifts her hand to rub her eye, smacking her lips together as she wakes up. She gives Jonathan a sleepy smile and then turns over onto her back, the light flashing across her silver eyes as she notices Jaime. “Nibi?”  
  
Jaime smiles, “Hi Baby, come to Nibi ok? Johnny’s being mean.” The baby nods and stands up slowly, toddling over the few steps it takes to get to their arms. They lift her up and press a kiss to her forehead, “That’s my girl, ok let’s get you changed and then we can have some dinner. Maybe we can go to the park after with your cousin and your aunty, how’s that sound?”  
  
The baby nods and claps her hands together, “good! Wan’ go park!” 

“Ok, come on then, lovely, lets go get ready.” Jaime leans down and picks up the camera and aims it so they’re both looking into it, “Say bye bye camera.”

She waves her hand, “buh-bye!” 

“Oh, and Say Happy Birthday Mommy!”

“Habby birshday mama.”

_ **The video ends there.** _


	2. Video 2

_ **Date: December 20** _

_ **Time: 5:45 PM** _

_ **Video Two** _

The video is played and shows a park near War Dogs, something small, it’s definitely not central park as there isn’t a huge swathe of field stretching out into the distance. There are three children playing in the snow at the center of the wobbly frame, indicating that someone is holding it, two of them are taller, older, clad in heavy coats and baggy pants to combat the chill of winter. The third is in looser clothing, just a long sleeve, some simple pants, and a beanie on her head. 

Jaime’s voice, happy and light, calls out of the shot, “What are you making you guys?!”  
  
The littlest of the group turns, the baby from the last video, and shouts back, “ ‘now man!” 

They chuckle, “That’s right Logan! What are you going to dress it up with?” She holds up a scarf and a couple pieces of coal, while the other two girls hold up a carrot, a hat, and some mittens.   
  
The tallest, who has her hair done up in two poofy pigtails, Lenore, says, “We’re gonna make him pretty! And when we put the hat on him he’s gonna come to life!”

The camera pans over to the right and shows a young man clad in heavy winter wear, “Daniel you didn’t give them an actual enchanted hat did you?”

Daniel gives a small grin, “No?”   
  
“Danny!” 

The camera is handed off and then centered on the three kids as Jaime tries to convince the last girl, Leslie, to give them the hat. She thinks it’s a game and starts running off with Jaime shrieking a bit behind, they manage to tackle her to the ground. Both tumbling and spinning in the snow, and Jaime raises the hat out of Leslie’s reach to shout, “Success!” But the other two want to play as well, so Logan rushes up and snatches the hat out of Jaime’s hand to throw to Lenore. Who transforms into a bird and starts flying off.   
  
“LENORE NATION GET BACK HERE!” 

The next few minutes of video are just various situations where Jaime gets the hat back for a second before another one of the girls steals it again. There are scenarios where they have to chase Logan up a tree and catch her by dangling off of one of the branches by their legs as she jumps down to get away. There are moments when they need to dive into a snowbank because Lenore thought it would be a perfect place to hide for a Raven with a hat. The last thing that happened was just Leslie going to hide behind the completed snowman and clutching the hat tight. 

When Jaime went over to ask for it back, she gave them her biggest sad eyes ever and said, “but I want to see frosty.” Her nieces came up beside her and repeated the action, and Jaime just bowed their head in defeat.

Daniel gave the camera back to Jaime and he lifted Leslie up to put the hat on, and they wait for the snowman to stand up and do whatever living snowmen do. However, nothing seemed to be happening.

“Danny?”  
  
“Yes Jaime.”  
  
“Was that a Regular hat the whole time?!”  
  
He just runs and the frame just starts bouncing madly as Jaime goes after him.  
  
_**The video ends there.**_


	3. Video 3

_ **Date: January 1** _

_ **Time: 12:15 AM** _

_ **Video 3** _

  
  
The video plays and shows the floor of the main bar area of War Dogs, said floor is covered in confetti, streamers, and a bit of silly string. Jaime speaks off camera, “Dang it, I didn’t hit record. Shit, well there’s always next year.” 

The camera pans up and shows a very messy War Dogs, several people are milling about the place. Family mostly: in the corner there is Daniel and HOME, who is carrying a sleeping Lenore, talking idly at one of the booths. At one of the tables there is Bea with a sleepy Leslie and Gabe, both of them watching as Leslie’s head bobs up and down as she tries to stay awake. Bucky’s figure is a little bit out of the shot as he’s wiping down the bar top so it wasn’t so sticky with silly string. Winona is resting her head on her arms on another one of the tables, Mischief peeking over her shoulder and watching curiously as she snores. 

A voice, quiet and squeaky, asks off screen, “Nibi?”

The Camera pans over and Logan stands there in her footie pajamas, decorated with dinosaurs, clutching her stuffed Wolverine plushie. Jaime responds from offscreen, “What are you doing up Bibi? I thought you fell asleep a little while ago?” The camera is set down on the bar top and now records Jaime leaning down and pulling Logan into their lap.  
  
“Was, but wanna see the ball.”

Jaime gave a sad smile, “sorry sweetheart, I think you just missed it.”

She whines a little, “Wanna see ball!!!”  
  
“I know, I know,” Jaime glances over in Daniel and HOME’S direction, who are currently offscreen, “Danny can you do me a favor?” 

“Yeah what?”  
  
“Can you make,” they raise their hand in air quotes, “the ball drop, for Logan? She woke up to see it.”

“Oh! Yeah, I can do that.” He comes into the shot and gives Logan a small smile, then looks like he has an idea and calls out to the rest of the bar. “Hey guys get over here, we’re gonna watch the ball drop again!”

Everyone comes over, and Daniel begins moving his hands in an intricate pattern. Chanting words in a repetitive way that makes the world change around them, the walls turn into open air, the floor a street, and before them, high above is the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball. There’s a cheer that goes up around them that is created by people who don’t even notice the group’s sudden appearance. On several of the screens a countdown begins and the crowd repeats the numbers.  
  
“5! 4! 3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!”

The world around them erupts in a glory of confetti and cheers, the images of people hugging and kissing surrounding, the ball glittering down from high above. The image fades shortly after and Daniel looks towards Logan, “How was-” he cuts himself off eyes going wide when he realizes that she has fallen fast asleep in Jaime’s arms.  
  
Jaime chuckles and ruffles her thick curly hair, looking back to their brother they say, “There’s always next year.”

_ **The video ends there.** _


	4. Video 4

_ **Date: February 14** _

_ **Time: 2:00Pm** _

_ **Video 4** _

The video plays and it starts off by recording Jaime holding up the camera to eye level, “So I bought about three large bags of chocolate a few days ago so Juke can make some candy desserts at the bar today. I left it in the cupboard for those few days, thinking nothing of it. When I come back,” the camera pans to the right and shows a cupboard that has condiments and snacks scattered everywhere with little chocolate handprints covering the door and the back, “it’s gone.” Raising an eyebrow at the camera they smirk, “But I think I know who took it.”

The camera is lowered and shows the rest of the apartment as Jaime walks through, approaching Logan’s room. They give her time by knocking, which makes a hurried crinkling sound occur from behind the door, when they open it she’s looking up at them with big innocent eyes and chocolate smeared all over her face, with her hands behind her back. “Hi Logan.”  
  
“Hi Nibi.”

“So I had some chocolate in one of the cupboards of the kitchen, because it’s Valentine’s Day today. It seems to have gone missing though, do you know where it went?”

She shook her head.

“You sure?”

She nodded, and there’s a sound that came from Jaime that could’ve been a snort but was covered up too quickly to be clear.   
  
“Ok, well, it can’t have just vanished into thin air,” they gasp dramatically, “what if somebody took it?!”

Logan’s eyes get a little wider, she looked panicked now.

“Oh no! If they took it then I don’t have anything to give to Juke so he can make his super chocolate cake today!”

Now Logan is looking even more panicked, her eyes are darting everywhere as her two year old mind tries to think of something. “I know!”she says suddenly, “I know!”

“Oh really? Do you have it?”

“No!”

“Then do you know where it is?”

“Yes!”

“Ok where is it?”

Logan points behind the camera, “Tha’ way!” 

The camera pans to the right so they can show the hallway, and out of sight there’s more crinkling noises, and the sound of running feet. The camera turns back around and Logan is standing still as stone just like before, still with chocolate on her face, “Where did you say?”

She walks up and takes Jaime’s free hand with one of her chocolate covered ones. Her mouth opens to say something, but Jaime cuts her off with a, “Logan, why is your hand sticky?”

Logan stops, tenses, then starts to cry. 

Jaime sets the camera down across from them both and kneels down, “Logan?”

“I sorry! I want chocolate, and was there! I was hungry!”

They smile gently and bring their hands up to wipe away her tears, “hey, hey, it’s ok Bibi, don’t cry. If you wanted some Chocolate you could have asked and I would have given you a little bit.”

Logan sniffs, “bu-but I wanted a lotta it.”

“I know Bibi, but if you have too much chocolate you might get a tummy ache. I know you and your mama have stomachs of steel, but I just want to be careful because your little.”

“Could mama eat a lotta chocolate?”

Jaime shrugged, “She wasn’t big on sweets,” they grin and pull Logan close to kiss her cheek, “because she was sweet enough, just like you.” Logan giggled, “but I think she could have if she really wanted to,” Jaime starts tickling her, getting a squeal out of their daughter, “just like you!”

_ **The video ends there.** _


	5. Video 5

_ **Date: April 7th** _

_ **Time:11:06 PM** _

_ **Video 5** _

It plays and Jaime is laying on the ground holding up the camera with one hand, they’re in the shot but the main focus is on Logan: who is currently playing with some giant Legos. She places a bright yellow one at the top whilst standing on her tiptoes, but applies too much of her own weight and the tower topples over. Jaime gasps, dramatically and Logan says, “Uh oh.”  
  
Jaime snorts and says a little loudly, “Logan!” Logan glances towards the Camera with an eyebrow raised, “Don’t be naughty!”

She giggles.

“Don’t be naughty missy!”

She giggles again and starts walking over to where they’re sitting down, “No!”

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be Naughty! Don’t be naughty!”

She reaches them and says louder, “No!”

Then she flops down onto their chest, getting a, “oomph,” from Jaime, forcing them to set down the camera so they can pin her. “Don’t be naughty Missy! If you’re naughty I have to punish you!” They start tickling her and Logan starts to squeal happily. Her legs kicking out as she wriggles in her attempt to get away.

“No Nibi! No!”

One of her feet manages to hit Jaime in the stomach and they have to stop tickling her in order to catch their breath, “Oh… that’s gonna bruise.” Logan scrambled away, noticed the camera, snatched it, and then continued running. “LOGAN NOT THE CAMERA!” 

The next few minutes are of the camera just pointed at an upward angle with Logan’s face and the ceiling in view. Jaime’s voice can be heard calling from behind the little girl, asking for the camera back. Then the camera tumbles and is thrown a bit forward, on the left side of the frame Logan lays on the ground on her stomach and is clutching her head, crying. “Oh sweetheart come here,” Jaime kneels down and scoops her up, now only their feet and lower legs in the frame. “This is why we don’t run, you trip a lot, and now you’ve bumped your head,” there’s the sound of a kiss, presumably to the injured spot, and Jaime says, “lets get you some ice cream for that yeah?”

Logan just sniffles out of the shot.

_ **The video ends there.** _


	6. Video 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My personal favorite because I didn't have to think too much for this one

_ **Date: May 15** _

_ **Time: 4:05PM** _

_ **Video 6** _

_ _

This recording is very short, maybe five seconds long. It starts with the camera bobbing so fast that nothing is focused, and the only sound is that of sandals slapping across the floor. The camera finally stops moving and focuses on Logan, who is turning around to face it. She looks up with her big innocent eyes and says, “Nibi?”

The Camera blurs as it’s turned onto Winona, who is recording, and she says, “DO I LOOK LIKE-” 

_ _

_ **The video ends there.** _


	7. Video 7

_ **Date: July 4th** _

_ **Time: 8:30PM** _

_ **Video 7** _

It starts with the camera focused on Jaime and Logan, who are only shown in profile as they’re staring up at the sky. Logan stands in front of Jaime, who is kneeling with one hand on her shoulder and the other pointed upwards, “They’re going to come up right there. So there’s no need to be scared ok? They look big and close, but they’re far far away, so it won’t hurt you.”

The camera pans up and turns towards an empty patch of sky and the recorder, Bucky, says, “Yeah it should be coming up right about-” a small orange streak shoots up and he quickly turns the camera back to the other two. The firework goes off with a big, “BOOM,” and Logan immediately jumps in fright and turns around to grab onto Jaime. She buries her face into their chest as their arms come around her while they laugh. 

She’s whimpering and on the verge of crying as Jaime strokes her back, “Oh Sweetheart it’s ok, it’s ok. Don’t cry now, it’s ok,” another one goes off and she clings even tighter, “alright alright, here,” they reach back with one arm still around her and reach into their bag. Rummaging around before pulling out a pair of heavy duty earmuffs that were bright pink and extremely fuzzy. They pull back a little, having to fight Logan somewhat, and then place them on the little girl’s head. Instead of speaking, they use their hands to sign the word, ‘better?’ She just nods.

There isn’t much more of the video, most of it is the camera flipping between those two and the fireworks. 

_ **The Video ends there.** _


	8. Video 8

_ **Date: October 31** _

_ **Time: 7:50PM** _

_ **Video 8** _

The camera turns on and focuses on the same three girls from the video in the snow. One is dressed up as a knight in shining armor, another as a very big raven, and the third: “What are you dressed up as Logan?” Says Jaime off screen, Logan lifts her hands up and pops out her claws, “Mommy!” 

Jaime just chuckles, “That’s right, but what are we not gonna do?”

She looks at her claws and slides them back in, “Play with sharpies.”

“Good job,” they camera turns to the door where Winona, Daniel, and Gabe are all waiting. “We said we’d meet Nita and her kid over in Queens right? Near where the rich people live?”

“Yup,” says Winona, who was just encapsulated in Mischief, “then after that we head North to go see someone’s mom and get old bald cap to cough up as much candy as he can.”

Gabe, who was dressed in a toga and a makeshift gold medal, said, “Whose Bald Cap?”

Daniel spoke up, “one of the guys that nearly ruined our lives.”

“Oh,” said Gabe.

This Video had been edited somewhat, fast forwarding automatically through their walk through the city. Voices turning high and chirpy as they talked about everything and nothing, Jaime just kept the camera recording. Occasionally turning the lens on a good costume or a neat house. Eventually they meet up with Nita (dressed as Spider-Fang, so essentially herself) and her own kid (also dressed as Spider-Fang), and the large group goes about asking for candy from random strangers. The adults all think the costumes are cute, cooing and being sweet to the kiddies. When they hit the richer neighborhoods the kids were ecstatic, because instead of getting handfuls of tiny candy, they were getting full sized bars. 

A voice, Jaime’s voice, says to someone else offscreen, “Remind me to filch all of those big ones when we get back? We do not need four candy crazed kids running around the apartment building until their sugar high wears off. Especially not one with knives that pop out of her hands.”

Finally, Daniel opens a portal in an alleyway and leads them all through to the outskirts of X Manor. They arrive at the outer gates and Jaime hands off the camera to Gabe so they can make a call, bringing up their phone to their ear they say, “Hi Jean? We’re here, can you open up the gates for us?” There’s something said that’s too quiet for the camera to hear and the gate swings open with a loud groan. The kids cheer and start racing up the path towards X Manor. A few of the adults tailing behind, including Gabe.

  
Offscreen, as Gabe tries to find the stop button on the recording, Jaime asks, “Hey is… is she there? … A mission, oh… ok. Thanks.”

_ **The Video ends there.** _


	9. Interlude 1

The first time it happened everyone brushed it off. It was Logan’s twelfth birthday, Jaime had set the camera down for a moment to light the candles on her cake then picked it up again to record the others singing to her. After that was done they handed off the camera to Bea so that they could grab some plates and forks for the cake cutting. They grab what they were looking for and return to start handing the plates out.   
  
After a while they start looking around the room, brow furrowed, confusion clear on their face. They’re muttering to themself, “Where did it go? I thought I put it here?” They check under the table, in the cabinets, in some of the bags that were strewn about, even going so far as to check one of the presents that seemed big enough to hold it. 

Bea walked in and caught them searching, with the camera in hand still recording, and she asked, “What are you doing Tails?”

Jaime looked up and blinked, “Looking for that, did you pick it up after I set it down?” 

Bea blinked, “No hun you gave it to me.”

The confusion persisted, “No… I’m pretty sure I set it down somewhere, you must have picked it up while I was grabbing the plates.” 

“No Tails, you handed it off to me so I could record the kids telling Logan happy birthday while you got the plates. You… you did set it down before that though so you could light the candles.”

“Oh…” Jaime focused on a spot on the ground, they still couldn’t remember doing that, but it sounded right. “Yeah, huh, yeah… sorry I guess I must’ve forgotten.”

Bea only smiled and patted their cheek, “It’s alright dear, it happens sometimes. Come on, lets go check up on that daughter of yours.”


	10. Interlude 2

The second time it happened, was a little more disruptive. 

Jaime had loaned Logan the camera for a bit, because she said she had wanted to look back at some of the old film footage. When in reality, and to not embarrass herself in front of her Nibi, she was going to try to make a funny video to post on Tik Tok.

She had ‘Come get your love’ playing in the background, and had thought of making a scenario be JFK and her Nibi. She had it all planned out: initially she was going to pretend to be JFK, smiling and waving casually. Then with the first, “ _ Hey _ ,” she would show up again holding a Nerf gun and nodding casually. The second, “ _ Hey _ ,” would come and her JFK version would nod and keep waving casually. The beat would drop and the quick, “ _ What?! _ ” would go with it, as her JFK would do a double take with eyes wide and then her head would fly back dramatically as she pretended to be shot. 

It was going to be, as the kids say, Epic. 

Everything went accordingly, and it only took a few seconds of filming to make sure it went through alright. She was just about to go over to turn it off when Jaime came into her room, “Honey dinn-” their eyes widen a bit, “What are you doing with the camera?” 

Logan jumped a little, jostling the camera a little, and making her fumble to right it again, “You let me borrow it. I said, I wanted to take a look at some of the old videos we have on here, remember?”

Jaime shook their head, “No I’m pretty sure I didn’t; come on hun, you know that’s not a toy. We can’t back it up either, so I’m going to need it back; don’t take it without asking again.” They make their way over to it, but Logan blocks their way, looking confused and a little hurt.

“Nibi, yes you did. I asked you like ten minutes ago if I could use it, you said yes, I wouldn’t lie.”

Their brow furrows “... I don’t… you did?” Their hand comes up so they can scratch their head, “I don’t remember you doing that…” They look at Logan, who seemed just as confused as they were, “I’ve taught you not to lie, and that you can be honest with me… so I don’t see why you would start now.” Crossing their arms, they frown a bit, “Sorry hun, must’ve forgotten. It’s- it’s been a busy day.”

“You ok Nibi? You- you’ve been forgetting things a lot lately.”

They nod, “Yeah, yeah hun, it’s probably just the stress. It’s been pretty busy at the bar lately and it’s probably been messing with me,plus I’m getting old so I’m not surprised my mind is going.” They grin, “that’s what happens when you get past 110. Hell, I’m 118, I’m not surprised I’m not completely grey yet.”

Logan just snorts, “You’re not grey because you keep dyeing your hair.”

“Hey! That’s a secret!”


	11. Interlude 3

The third time, and the time that people realized something was wrong, was during a family get together. 

It was a reunion of sorts, paired with an anniversary, the anniversary of the opening of War Dogs. Fifty years had passed since the bar had opened its doors, fifty years since it became more than just a front, fifty years since two assassins believed they can finally settle down and plant some roots. The bar was decked out in streamers, balloons, commemorative centerpieces, and hundreds upon hundreds of photos. They were strewn everywhere: on the tables, on the bar top, on the walls, on the windows, on the center pieces, even on the ceiling. 

All of them were moments taken from the past fifty years. Happy smiling faces of a group of friends, sweet stolen moments for quiet lovers, joyful tears as another New Year would have passed by, and a wedding photo or two. Each of them, were placed in or near the areas they were taken. Some corners had mounds piled around them, others were completely barren, but most had at least ten. A lot of memories could be made in the span of fifty years.

Jaime was walking about with the camera, recording the event so they could burn it onto a dvd later. Their hair had continued greying, now looking more like salt and pepper than pure black, the corners of their eyes had crows feet, and their metabolism wasn’t as fast as it used to be. Time had finally begun making it’s mark upon them. They were still very spry, and could take on the same amount of fight as they used to, it’s just that they didn’t look it anymore. 

They smile and laugh along with all the others in the bar, trying to get every face in the shot so they have something else besides photographs. Something else to try and fight back against what had been going on.

Since that day, seven years ago now when they said they didn’t remember telling Logan it was alright to use the camera, they had been trying to keep track of moments like it. She had been right, they  _ had _ been forgetting things more and more as time went on. It was just little things, asking someone to do a favor, placing down an item somewhere, asking someone for their order. However, in recent months, it seemed like they were forgetting bigger and bigger things. Sometimes, whole days would go by and they couldn’t remember what the hell they had done. There would be groceries on the countertop, laundry piled up and folded, even some food cooked, but they could not remember having done any of it. 

They hadn’t talked to anyone about it. They hadn’t asked any questions, or even acknowledged it, thinking it was just normal for people to not remember an entire day. But of course it wasn’t, and they were scared. The others couldn’t know though, the world had been kind these past few years, very kind. So who was Jaime to interrupt that happiness. 

It grew late and all of the customers, save for those who were passed out on the tables, had gone home. The camera was placed on a tripod somewhere that it could take in the whole of the room, just casually filming because Jaime had forgotten to stop the recording. It catches sight of Jaime, who is constantly checking a wall clock that was mounted above the shelves holding up the alcohol. Worry clear on their brow, they fidget with their hands and try to keep a smile on their face every time someone asks them a question or tries to include them in a conversation.

Eventually, someone notices. 

Winona asks them, “What’s got your panties in a twist Jaime? You gonna be late for your midnight soaps?” 

They give a weak chuckle, “very funny Winnie, you know I only wear briefs.” 

That got a laugh out of her, “Right right,” another laugh, “no but seriously, why do you keep looking at the clock?”

Jaime just shrugs, “It’s getting late and I haven’t gotten a call, so I’m just wondering where Mellie is. If work’s keeping her late or something.”

Winona looks at them with wide eyes, as do others who are close enough to hear the conversation. All of them look at Jaime with an expression that begs the question,  _ Are you pulling our legs right now? _

They blink and look at everyone, confused, “Why are you all looking at me like that? It’s a genuine worry,” they motion to Daniel and HOME, “you two worry about each other when you’re not back on time right?”

Daniel blurted out, “Yeah, but we’re married, you’re not.”

They blink again, “Well duh, we’re engaged… why are you all still looking at me like that?!”   
  
Winona reaches out and places a hand on theirs, “Jaime… why do you think Melissa is coming home from work?” 

“Because that’s what people do when they work Winnie, that’s how life works, I don’t know why you’re all looking at me like I’ve gone crazy!”

She squeezes their hand, “Jaime, it’s because you haven’t talked to Melissa in over a decade. You haven’t even seen her on the street, let alone met her here after she’s finished with work. She lives in X Manor as a Professor remember?”

Now they’re confused, “Wha- no? Melissa works in construction, she builds houses, remodels, she comes home smelling like sawdust and concrete. Not books and ink, what do you mean she’s a professor at X- she hates that place! You remember what she said to fucking Charles Xavier after her brother made her lose her memories. Why would she go back there?”

“Because you two fought, and it ended badly, don’t you remember?”

Their brow furrows further, and their gaze goes to the table, trying to recall a fight like that. Something so monumental that it would lead to them living apart, to her going back to a place she felt alone in, to her going back to being under the thumb of someone she hated. 

But they were drawing a blank.

“No… No I don’t.”


	12. Interulde 4

Early Onset Dementia.

That’s what the Neurologist, who could keep her mouth shut, called it. A disease that led to the brain’s Neurons to degenerate over time and cause anything from Memory Loss to Personality Changes. They labeled it as ‘early onset’ because Jaime looked young, and that it would make sense to anyone who asked outside of their group. There were medications they could take that were meant to help, but the Neurologist said that judging from the MRI scans there was little to no success for the pills to work. “Not to mention your healing factor might render them inert.”

The others tried to ask for something else, anything else that might help, but the Neurologist had nothing. They told Jaime that they’d keep fighting, keep looking, they’d call other doctors, research other methods, even go so far as to delve into SHIELD and HYDRA to find something to counteract it. Jaime let them.

The moment they heard the diagnosis, that they heard what it was capable of doing, they had already resigned themself. The others could be hopeful, could try and find something to fight it, but they were already making plans for when they went. 

The camera was frequently missing from it’s space on top of one of the book shelf. The trashcan in their room were filled to the brim with DVD casings. Whenever someone went to their apartment to tell them that they might’ve found something, Jaime wasn’t there. They were always outside. 

In a Park, on a bridge, at the top of a building, recording their journey. They would talk for hours as they went, talking about everything and nothing, recording the little things and the big. Leaving reminders for themself so they knew to do something later when they would wonder why they were holding the camera. 

Some videos were made for specific people, ways of saying goodbye, wills of a sort that would allow them to move on. Hopefully at least. Several of the videos had been clipped together from different days and times, as they were prone to forgetting what they were doing about halfway through the recording. The person watching would always know when another clip was added on, because Jaime would always reintroduce themself and why they are doing the video. There was one for each person in their life by the end, each about ten minutes long, with laughing, crying, and a bittersweet goodbye at the end. 

Each one was handed out individually one a day, over the course of the year that they had left.   
  
Often Jaime found that their loved ones would refuse the DVD, saying some nonsense or other about how they were going to find something to help them before they would ever need to see what was on the DVD. So Jaime would just leave it somewhere that they would find it when the time came. Under pillows, on a table, on a Night stand; they even stuck one to a fridge with a piece of paper on it with the words: Read Me after, written on it. 

There was only one video left. One very special video. 

They gave it to Logan with specific instructions to only send it out the day after they were gone. She had wanted to say no, that they shouldn’t think like that, that they needed to get it to the recipient sooner. But one look into her Nibi’s eyes and she knew they were right. So they both tuck it away in a manila envelope, stamped and addressed for when the time came.


	13. Final Video

_ **Date: November 29** _

_ **Time: 12:00AM** _

_ **Final Video** _

The video starts with the camera facing Jaime, who is sitting in bed in their pajamas, with a tube affixed to their face with some tape that seems to feed into their nostrils. There are heavy bags under their eyes and they are laying back against their pillows with a tired smile, “Hi Mellie.” Their voice is raspy, and quiet, quieter than they’ve ever spoken, “I don’t suppose you were expecting this, and you’re probably thinking it’s some kind of cosmic punishment. You have a tendency to always think that you’re at fault, or that this is retribution for something you’ve done.”

They cough a bit, and they cover their mouth with their fist so that their spittle doesn’t get all over the lens. When the fit ends they just go back to smiling, “I don’t have a lot of time, because I don’t know how long my memory’s going to last me, so I’ll just cut to the chase. It’s not. I’m not making this video to blame you and condemn you for everything. I’m not doing this so I can have one last final scream and so that I can die angry.” They huff, “I was never angry with you.” 

“I am doing this so I can say goodbye, so I can tell the woman I love with everything I am, that it’s going to be ok. That you’re going to be ok, and that no matter what you think, none of this is your fault. This is not something you could control, this was not something either of us could control. This is just life, and life is shit, and mean, and terrible. You and I know that better than anyone. So I’d like, to make the ending of it, as kind as possible.”

“You’re probably angry with me, considering how I didn’t ask you to come see me in my last days, or to help with the funeral. However, my Lovely, you already had to go through this once with your wife. No need to rinse and repeat for little old me, and you know how much I hate hospitals, so there’s no way I was going to go through with that in the first place.” They laugh, breathy and soft, “So that’s my reasoning for it, also, because I don’t want you to see me like that. I want you to remember me how I was. Though, I guess that’s all null and void when I send you this.” 

“Where was I? Oh yeah, I know that when we separated it wasn’t on the best of terms, that we were throwing ourselves practically back to the start. But I want you to know, that I never stopped loving you. I was angry, and hurting, for a goddamn long time, but I never stopped loving you. You were, and are everything that I ever wanted, and our daughter? She’s the extension of that. If I could go to X Manor right now, without forgetting why I was there every five minutes, I would and I’d just hold you for as long as you’d let me. I’d take every fire filled insult and accusation, if you had any, just so I could see you again.”

They smile.

“I love you so much Mellie, please don’t cry for me, please don’t beg for me back. If I’m lucky, I’ll see you again, one day. Oh… and Happy Birthday Love.”

_ **The Video Ends There.** _


End file.
